ANATOMY &

PHYSIOLOGY
OF SPEECH
The human body is highly adapted for speech. When
we communicate using spoken language, we produce a
wide range of sounds in a seemingly endless number of
arrangements.
So how do we go from streams of air to the sounds that
make up words? Read on to find out!
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 THE LUNGS,
TRACHEA, AND
DIAPHRAGM
The words we speak start with air being
exhaled from the lungs.

During exhalation, the diaphragm

and external intercostal muscles relax,
causing air to leave the lungs.

On its way out of the body, the air

passes through the trachea, larynx, and
pharynx before finally leaving through
the oral or nasal cavity.

DIAPHRAGM

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 EPIGLOTTIS HYOID BONE

THE
LARYNX
The larynx is the uppermost airway of LARYNX
the lower respiratory system.

It sits on top of the trachea and is

surrounded by a series of cartilages
collectively referred to as the laryngeal
skeleton. These cartilages are connected THYROID
CARTILAGE
by ligaments and moved by a variety of
muscles.

Though the airway remains open during

breathing, the epiglottis closes off the
entry to the larynx during swallowing
in order to keep food and/or liquid from TRACHEA
entering the trachea.
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 VESTIBULAR
FOLDS VOCALIS MANIPULATING
THE VOCAL
THYROARYTENOID

VOCAL
FOLDS
FOLDS
The vocal folds (true vocal cords),
stretch across the interior of the larynx.
They enclose the vocal ligaments.

Sound is produced when air coming

up through the larynx causes the vocal
folds to vibrate. This is called phonation.
OBLIQUE The intrinsic muscles of the larynx alter
ARYTENOID
the quality and picth of the sound by
manipulating the distance between and
LATERAL tension of the vocal folds.
CRICOARYTENOID
TRANSVERSE The vesibular folds (false vocal cords)
ARYTENOID aren’t used for speech but help close off
POSTERIOR CRICOTHYROID
the glottis during swallowing.
4 CRICOARYTENOID (OBLIQUE PART)
THE PHARYNX,
ORAL CAVITY, & NASOPHARYNX

NASAL CAVITY
The pharynx is a musculomembranous
tube that serves as an airway
connecting the larynx with the oral and
nasal cavities.

It is also part of the alimentary

canal, allowing food to pass into the
esophagus.

It has three parts: the laryngopharynx,

the oropharynx, and the nasopharynx.
OROPHARYNX

LARYNGOPHARYNX
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 TONGUE
PALATOGLOSSUS
STYLOGLOSSUS ARTICULATION:
BODY
THE TONGUE
The tongue’s four intrinsic muscles give
it great flexibility. They work together
with the extrinsic tongue muscles
to allow the tongue a wide range of
motion within the mouth/vocal tract.

Different parts of the tongue impede

the air stream along the vocal tract to
create a variety of speech sounds.

Fun fact!
HYOGLOSSUS The tongue is a muscular hydrostat,
GENIOHYOID
made up of several muscles. Octopus’
TONGUE GENIOGLOSSUS tentacles and elephants’ trunks are also
APEX (TIP) TONGUE muscular hydrostats.
ROOT
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ARTICULATION:
LIPS AND TEETH
The lips can create speech sounds by
obstructing the stream of air either
fully or partially. Consonants produced
using both lips are referred to as bilabial
consonants.

The lips and teeth can be used in

combination to produce labiodental
sounds like [f] and [v].

Additionally, the tongue can go

between the teeth to produce
interdental sounds like the “th” in
“those” and “mouth.”

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 ARTICULATION:
ALVEOLAR SOFT PALATE
RIDGE

HARD AND SOFT

PALATES
The tongue creates speech sounds by
obstructing the flow of air at various
places on the hard palate. The alveolar
ridge is a bump just behind the front
teeth and is the place of articulation for
[t] and [d] sounds.

When the tongue obstructs air at

the soft palate (velum) you get velar
consonants like [k] and [g].
HARD PALATE
For nasal sounds like [m], [n], and [ŋ]*
the velum is lowered so air can escape
UVULA out of the nose instead of the mouth.
* [ŋ] is an “ng” sound, like at the end of the word “running”
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BASIC
PROPERTIES OF
CONSONANTS
Voicing: If a consonant is voiced, the
vocal folds are vibrating. If a consonant
is unvoiced, the vocal folds are relaxed.

Place of articulation: Where is the

airstream obstructed?

Manner of articulation: How

obstructed is the air stream? For
example, stop consonants involve a
full obstruction of the air stream, but
fricatives let a tiny bit of air hiss through
a narrow opening.

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 BASIC
PROPERTIES OF
VOWELS
Where is the tongue positioned? Is
it high or low relative to the roof of the
mouth? How far back in the mouth is it?

Tense/lax? How long or short is the

vowel, and how tense is the mouth
during pronunciation?

Rounded? Are the lips rounded?

Nasal? Is air allowed to escape through

the nose? English doesn’t have true
nasal vowels but sometimes vowels will
become nasalized in the presence of a
nasal consonant.
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THE BRAIN’S
ROLE IN SPEECH
PRODUCTION
Broca’s Area is a part of the brain
particularly notable for its involvement
in speech. It is composed of the
pars opercularis (BA 44) and pars
triangularis (BA 45) of the (left) inferior
frontal gyrus.

It helps plan out words and sentences

by integrating different types of
linguistic information. Damage to
Broca’s Area can cause Broca’s aphasia,
or expressive aphasia. People with this
type of aphasia have trouble producing
fluent speech, but their language
comprehension remains intact.
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 ISSUING MOTOR
COMMANDS
The right and left motor cortex
(precentral gyrii) enable speech by
sending commands to the muscles.

Apraxia is when motor planning

problems prevent fluent speech. The
brain has trouble getting the right
messages to the muscles, but there is
no muscle weakness.

Dysarthria occurs when a person has

trouble moving the muscles required for
speech, either as a result of neurological
damage or damage to the speech
organs (peripheral dysarthria).
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